To develop a novel, ecologically valid attentional bias modification (ABM) paradigm based on virtual reality (VR) and to preliminarily examine its feasibility in patients with contamination-based obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), highlighting the innovative use of VR.
Key Findings:
5 patients in the ABM group and 5 in the TAU group completed the 4-week follow-up.
The VR-ABM paradigm effectively elicited target symptoms, inducing moderate levels of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and anxiety, suggesting potential for clinical application.
All participants in the VR-ABM group reported the program as appropriately challenging and effective in eliciting symptoms.
Interpretation:
Preliminary findings support the feasibility of the novel VR-ABM training in OCD, with potential implications for future therapeutic strategies.
Limitations:
Small sample size limits generalizability and may introduce selection bias.
Lack of a control group for the VR-ABM intervention.
Conclusion:
Further investigation in larger, controlled trials is warranted to rigorously evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of VR-ABM, particularly in the context of existing ABM literature.
